Air India Express has admitted to an error in replacing engine parts on one of its Airbus A320 aircraft after being pulled up by India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
The airline said the issue was caused by a record migration problem in its monitoring software and confirmed that corrective action has since been taken.
In a statement issued on Friday, July 4, the airline said an Airworthiness Directive issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in May 2023 applied to two engines in its inventory. The required change was completed on one engine in time, but the replacement for the second engine was missed due to technical issues related to software record migration.
The airline said the work was carried out as soon as the oversight was noticed and that both engines are now compliant.
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The response comes after a confidential DGCA memo raised concerns about the airline’s failure to meet the mandatory replacement schedule. The memo also mentioned suspected alterations in the aircraft maintenance system records to falsely show compliance.
These findings were made during a routine DGCA audit in October 2024 and were formally shared with the airline in March this year.
The DGCA noted that the non-compliance involved one engine of an Airbus A320 aircraft and warned that such lapses could affect flight safety. The memo also highlighted concerns regarding the integrity of records in the airline’s maintenance software system.
This safety issue was reported months before the fatal crash of an Air India Dreamliner aircraft in Ahmedabad in June, which killed 241 people. The crash is being investigated and has put the airline group under increased scrutiny.
Air India Express is currently expanding its fleet and undergoing integration with AIX Connect. The airline said it has taken disciplinary action against the staff involved and reaffirmed its focus on safety and adherence to regulatory norms.
